An epicurean adventure to: South Africa
This traditional, curried noodle salad recipe, (or curry pasta salad since it doesn't actually contain 'noodles'!) is a carnival of flavours and textures and ever the crowd-pleaser!
A tangy, sweet and spicy sauce is combined with tender pasta shells, perfectly balanced by the crunch of red pepper and onion.
It's made in four easy steps; cook the pasta, chop the veg, mix the dressing and combine. Voilà!
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Top Tip
One of the best features of curry pasta salad is that it can - and should - be made in advance. It reaches peak flavour the next day and tastes even better the day after that.
Perfect for picnics, lunch boxes and the all-important barbeque, or 'braai' as we call it in South Africa.
It's hugely popular in South Africa where it's known as 'Kerrie Noedelslaai'.
If you're looking for another salad recipe for larger gatherings that can be made in advance, try this healthy brown rice salad. For dessert, how about authentic South African milk tart?
Fast facts - South Africa
| Location | Southernmost tip of the African continent. It is bordered by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and Lesotho. |
| Language | South Africa has 11 official languages - English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Pedi, Venda, Tsonga, Swati, and Ndebele. English is widely spoken and is the language of business, while Zulu and Xhosa are the most commonly spoken African languages. |
| Population | Circa 60.2 million |
| Trivia | South Africa has the world's largest ostrich population and is a major exporter of ostrich products, including feathers and meat. |
What's to love about this recipe
- The curry dressing adds a unique and bold flavour that's both spicy, tangy and sweet.
- It's a filling side dish for those times when a green salad just won't do.
- Easy to prepare and can be made ahead of time.
- It is made from mostly store cupboard ingredients.
- Adjust the spice level to your preference.
- Vegan and vegetarian-friendly pasta salad recipe.
Key ingredient notes and substitutions
**Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients.
Pasta
Choose your favourite pasta shape. We recommend shells and twisty shapes like fusilli and rotini because they allow the sauce to cling to them.
Don't overcook the pasta because it will sit in the dressing overnight, absorbing more liquid.
Red bell pepper (Capsicum in the USA)
You can use red, yellow, orange or green peppers. Red pepper is the sweetest and provides the best colour.
Alternatively, feel free to use long, pointed red peppers instead.
Red onion
Red onion can be substituted with white onion, green onion (spring onion) or shallots.
To avoid unpleasantly large chunks, be sure to chop the onion finely.
Vinegar
A white vinegar, like white wine vinegar, is traditionally used in this recipe, but you can also substitute it with other vinegar such as brown or red wine vinegar.
Balsamic vinegar adds a lovely flavour, but it's quite sweet. If you use it, you might want to use less sugar to keep the balance right.
Oil
Use any neutral-flavoured oil like sunflower, olive, canola or vegetable oil.
Granulated sugar
You can also use caster sugar.
We haven't tried this ourselves, but if you're cutting out sugar completely, you can use a granulated sweetener like Canderal instead. Add it little by little until it tastes sweet enough for you.
Keep in mind that the sauce should be quite sweet because its sweetness will become diluted once mixed with the pasta.
Chutney
We like using Mrs Ball's Peach Chutney for this pasta salad, but you can also try other fruit chutneys like mango if you prefer.
Tabasco
We add about 25-30 drops of Tabasco for a mild simmer in our curry noodle salad.
It's all about personal taste, so adjust the Tabasco as you like. Start with a small amount and add more slowly until it tastes just right for you.
Top tips
- Don't overcook the pasta. It should be *just* al dente and not too soft. Drain it well. It will soak up more liquid when it sits in the dressing for a while.
- When adding the sauce to the pasta, don't add it all at once at first.
Stir some sauce in and see if you need more before adding the rest.
Usually, you'll end up using all the sauce. It depends on how much the pasta expanded while cooking, which can vary between types and brands.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Cook the pasta in salt water according to the package directions. Don't overcook it as it will continue absorbing the curry sauce it will be dressed with.
Step 2: Once cooked, drain it well using a colander. After draining, transfer the pasta to a large bowl.
Step 3: Finely chop the red bell pepper and the onion.
Step 4: Mix together the tomato sauce, vinegar, olive oil, sugar, curry powder, chutney, tabasco sauce and black pepper in a bowl.
Step 5: Add the chopped vegetables to the pasta. Mix well.
Step 6: Add the sauce and stir it through.
When adding the sauce to the pasta, don't add it all at once at first.
Stir some sauce in and see if you need more before adding the rest.
Usually, you'll end up using all the sauce. It depends on how much the pasta expanded while cooking, which can vary between types and brands.
Step 7: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge overnight or for at least 6 hours. Give it a stir once or twice to distribute the dressing.
Step 8: Transfer the curry noodle salad to a serving dish and finish off with a scattering of chopped parsley, basil or coriander if you prefer.
Storage
This salad stays fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days. It tastes even better the next day or the day after. You can serve it cold from the fridge or at room temperature.
Not suitable for freezing.
Serving suggestions
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley or sesame seeds.
- Add another sprinkling of black pepper.
- Can be enjoyed as a salad, a side or as a main meal. It goes really well with grilled meat like steak, chops, chicken and ribs.
- Another variation to this recipe is to add tinned peaches or dried apricots to the salad.
More curry recipes
More filling salad recipes
Recipe
Curry Noodle Salad (Kerrie Noedelslaai)
Ingredients
- 500 gram uncooked, dry pasta - fusilli, conchiglioni (pasta shells) etc
- 1 large red bell pepper - chopped into small cubes
- 1 red onion - roughly 180g, finely chopped
- 200 millilitre tomato sauce
- 100 millilitre white vinegar - like white wine vinegar
- 100 millilitre oil - like olive, sunflower or vegetable oil
- 180 millilitre granulated sugar - or 160g
- 5 teaspoons mild curry powder - 25ml
- 3 tablespoons fruit chutney - 45ml, like Mrs Ball's Peach Chutney
- Tabasco - to taste
- black pepper to taste - to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salt water according to the package directions. Don't overcook the pasta, it will continue to absorb the curry sauce added later.500 gram uncooked, dry pasta
- Once cooked, drain it well using a colander. After draining, transfer the pasta to a large bowl.
- Finely chop the red bell pepper and the onion.1 large red bell pepper, 1 red onion
- Mix together the tomato sauce, vinegar, olive oil, sugar, curry powder, chutney, tabasco sauce and black pepper in a bowl.200 millilitre tomato sauce, 100 millilitre white vinegar, 100 millilitre oil, 180 millilitre granulated sugar, 5 teaspoons mild curry powder, 3 tablespoons fruit chutney, Tabasco, black pepper to taste
- Add the chopped vegetables to the pasta. Mix well.
- Add the sauce and stir it through. When adding the sauce to the pasta, don't add it all at once at first. Stir some sauce in and see if you need more before adding the rest. Usually, you'll end up using all the sauce. It depends on how much the pasta expanded while cooking, which can vary between types and brands.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge overnight, or for at least 6 hours. Give it a stir once or twice to distribute the dressing.
- Transfer the curry noodle salad to a serving dish and finish off with a scattering of chopped parsley, basil or coriander if you prefer.
Notes
- Don't overcook the pasta. It should be *just* al dente and not too soft. Drain it well. It will soak up more liquid when it sits in the dressing for a while.
- When adding the sauce to the pasta, don't add it all at once at first. Stir some sauce in and see if you need more before adding the rest. Usually, you'll end up using all the sauce. It depends on how much the pasta expanded while cooking, which can vary between types and brands.
**Nutritional data disclaimer**
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.
Nutrition
For food safety advice, including guidance on food allergies
More recipes from South Africa
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Nepalese chicken curry - Our most popular curry recipe!
Aromatic beef curry with coconut milk
Or read all about Spices here!
Ange says
What a fantastic recipe! My mom used to make this salad for braais, and I've been searching for a recipe that matches hers ever since. I didn't need to use all the sauce, as you suggested. It's amazing what a difference it makes when you prepare the salad the day before – it's a crucial step. Plus, the kids enjoyed it, which is a bonus!
Maretha Corbett says
Hey Ange!
Wonderful! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, especially the kids - they can often be a challenge when it comes to salads! We love this recipe for a braai too because it's substantial, much like potato salad but with a different twist.
Thanks for letting us know it was a resounding success.
Maretha.
Debs says
Solid recipe! Had to sort out a salad for a big crowd, like 100 people big and this salad nailed it. Scaled it up times five, thinking it might be too much, but it got scarfed down before any of the other salads. Props for this one, thank you!
Lisa says
Fantastic recipe! Loved the addition of Mrs Balls, it gives it a little bit of an x-factor.
Maretha Corbett says
Fantastic! Glad you liked it Lisa, thank you for the feedback 🙂